report from 4/18 state park area

[trapshot25]

Got on lake around 8:00 am and stayed till 5:00right before rain started. Launched at state park and stayed close with weather coming in. Water temp stayed around 59-61 most of the day. Visability was around 10 feet with nice green tint. Started with rock crawler and wart while girlfriend fished the ned. No takers on crankbait and started to pick upsome moss everytime it hit bottom. Hopeing that doesn't get as bad as years past. Girlfriend started to pick up a few bass on ned mostly 10-14" range. Used Dave's jig head in 1/16 green pumpkin with eithe PBJ or Dirt zinker. Both colors seemed to work about even. I picked up spinnner bait and started to pick a few small bass up with one fat keeper. Rains came so we heaed back to dock at state park to dry out little and wait for storm to pass. Back out and bite was still on with the ned. I picked up brown jig with GP trailor and started to keep pace with robin on the ned. Stayed that way till we left and got 2 bonus walleye to boot. Pictures are of 2 biggest her's on ned, mine on jig. Think we ended up with 5 or 6 keepers and at least 20 other bass. All heathy and fat.

[Jbrant]

We fished Saturday from 8:30 to 4 out of Masters. Masters had the warmest water at around 61. Headed up the river and found water as cool as 56 in one cove (which seemed weird to us). Water was really clear up past Price Branch. We ended up back in Maze and wished we would've spent more time there. Saw a few beds with fish cruising in the back of one pocket.

We caught fish pretty much all day on about everything we threw (jigs, spooks, square bills, buzzbait, popper, jerkbait, soft plastics - only thing we didn't get a bite on was a spinnerbait). But we couldn't catch anything with size. Just two small keepers out of 20+ fish. A few spots, few smallmouth, and the rest were largemouths. Caught them all over the coves - back to front, pockets, channel banks, etc. Most were fairly shallow. We just never put anything together - pretty random.

Cloudy all day, rain in the middle, we never found much wind.

[slab slinger]

Good report. Nice fish bud.

[slab slinger]

Bass guys...Why so much time on main lake right now? Why ain't ya in the creek arms with warm water and the spawners? Don't chase green fish much anymore but thats where i would be. Maybe ya'll got something figured out that i never did.

[Sac River Jim]

  On 4/20/2015 at 1:28 AM, slab slinger said:

Bass guys...Why so much time on main lake right now? Why ain't ya in the creek arms with warm water and the spawners? Don't chase green fish much anymore but thats where i would be. Maybe ya'll got something figured out that i never did.

not all fish spawn in the creeks and that goes for bass white bass crappie and walleye. i've moved to the mid lake area on everything just to stay outta the zoo up the creeks. took second and big bass yesterday in a small tourney and didnt get a half a mile from Mutton Creek North as I've been preaching it's not the area it's a combination of conditions and habitat. Theres good spawning pockets and banks everywhere!!!

[waterpossum]

  On 4/20/2015 at 7:07 PM, Sac River Jim said:

not all fish spawn in the creeks and that goes for bass white bass crappie and walleye. i've moved to the mid lake area on everything just to stay outta the zoo up the creeks. took second and big bass yesterday in a small tourney and didnt get a half a mile from Mutton Creek North as I've been preaching it's not the area it's a combination of conditions and habitat. Theres good spawning pockets and banks everywhere!!!

As much as I like to catch fish I would rather venture away from the annual hoard of fisherman that return year after year to their traditional "Hot Spots" As an example. A friend and I about a week ago on a weekday entered Birch Branch. Our count of boats from the mouth to the back was 32.

[Unimog]

Two weeks ago I caught plenty of fish between the dam and the mile long bridge. Practically had the lake to myself.

[Walcrabass]

Trapshot and others,

Thanks for sending the report Mr. Trapshot. I enjoyed reading your honest account. I just want to give everyone a little hint about the Ned Rig. As you saw you "Kept up" with it by fishing a jig. That is usually the case. They are pretty much the same speed/presentation. I have to say that the Jig is more versatile as it can be pitched for a smooth glide into the water and has a better fall when "Hopped". One major consideration for the Jig is that the hooks are usually substantially stronger that the Ned Rig hooks. The first time you have a 6 to 8 pounder open your hook up and swim away you will know what I mean. I am speaking from experience with lighter hooks. You can always fish a piece of a worm or a craw and no skirt on your Bass Jigs to get closer to the Ned Rig profile if you want. Just trying to save some crying at the boat ramp.

Walcrabass